A proper diet is the most important factor in keeping your kitty healthy. Cats are extremely sensitive to urinary tract problems, allergy syndromes, and a variety of deficiency problems. All of these can be caused or exacerbated by an improper diet. We have been gathering data on the results of different diets here for the last 25 years.

We recommend a diet of a high quality, non-allergenic commercial food. Now a’ days canned foods and dry foods are equal if they are of good quality. Dry food used to be problematic for many cats, but over the last decade this has been corrected in many dry foods. The packaged semi-moist foods like Moist Meals or Tender Vittles are of dubious quality and do frequently, cause allergic skin or vomiting problems. We are not convinced that their additives and preservatives are safe for the feline liver.

Fish in the diet, be it canned, fresh or as a component in either canned or dry cat food is problematic. At The Cat Practice at least 15% of the health problems we see are diet related. NEVER FEED FISH and read the ingredients to make sure the manufacturer is not sneaking fish, fishmeal, fish oil into a food which might be labeled Chicken Dinner or Beef and Liver. It happens frequently as fish is a flavor enhancer and a cheap protein source. Fish is not a natural prey of the wild Felidae who do not catch and eat Tuna or Mackerel, shell fish are also considered fish.

We have long recommended products by The Carnation Company – Friskies Buffet and Fancy Feast. They are high quality, non-allergenic and of average price and pretty universally available. Recently, The Abady Company has come out with a line of natural, high quality foods which seem to be very well thought out and highly palatable to most cats. They are above average in price, but worth it. We have them available for sale here. We also stock the full range of Hill’s special diets. This company spends a ton of money on research and has prescription diets for kidney, liver, heart, weight and urinary problems. These are sold only thru Veterinarians and may well be recommended by us to deal with your cat’s problems.

Our Food Recommendations are:

Abady Foods – all natural, no preservatives, canned or dry.

Science Diet – canned and dry; they also make a light formula which might be appropriate for over weight cats.

Max Cat – canned and dry; they also make a light variant.

Friskies Buffet – canned only; Beef and Liver, Turkey and Giblets, Liver Chicken Poultry Platter and Mixed grill – but read ingredients to make sure there is no fish.

9 Lives: canned only; Beef and Liver Platter, Chicken Dinner, Kidney in Creamed, Gravy Chicken and Cheese Dinner. Again scan for fish ingredients.

Purina One - dry food
Hill’s Prescription Diets – canned and dry C/d and W/d are both good for cats even with no special medical problems.

Adding 1/2 Tsp. of debittered Brewer's Yeast and 1/4 Tsp. of Wheat Germ is recommended to prevent B Vitamin deficiencies and create a lustrous, healthy coat. Treats such as milk, an occasional cooked egg, raw or lightly braised liver or kidneys, and whatever vegetables your cat will eat are useful. Unless you are a Veterinary Nutritionist, home designed diets are fraught with the risk of potentially serious deficiency problems. Fresh water (frequently changed) should always be available.

EXERCISE: Cats of every age need exercise, Having two cats provides natural exercise. A good sturdy scratching post filled with catnip is an absolute necessity for every cat. If your cat has a post that he likes (and he won't settle for less), your rugs and furniture will remain intact. We recommend and sell The Felix Catnip Tree - "the best post around”.

FRIENDS: cat appreciates friendship from his species as much as (sometimes more than) a person appreciates friendship from his. The best way to accomplish this is to have two cats. Larger numbers should only be attempted if you spend a lot of time at home and can assume the proper responsibility for their care.

GROOMING: A cat is the most fastidious of domestic animals about his appearance. However, your assistance can make the job easier for him. A rubber brush is best for short hair. Long hair requires daily combing. If you can't comb your longhaired cat each day, there are people who will provide periodic grooming services in your home and we do all manner of grooming here – comb outs, shaving and bathing; please call.

OUTDOOR CATS: If your cat goes outdoors, he must have a collar and identification tag for his protection. In addition, he will face more natural hazards than the average apartment cat. We recommend that all outdoor cats be vaccinated against Feline Leukemia, a fatal and contagious viral disease among cats and he/she may require vaccination for Bordetella and or Feline Infectious Peritonitis (F.I.P.).

PARASITES: Your cat's stool sample should be checked periodically for internal parasites. "Worming" is only necessary if a parasite infestation is known to exist. The most common external parasites encountered are fleas, ticks and ear mites. If neglected, each could be potentially harmful to your cat.

SANITATION. An outdoor cat rarely uses the same location twice to urinate or defecate, Therefore, an indoor cat requires your assistance in this area. The litterbox should be cleaned twice daily. The box should be emptied and scrubbed once a week. Scooping the feces daily is a good idea.

TRAINING: Cats are trainable, but it requires patience. The basic principle is reward (tasty snacks, catnip, strokes and praise) for laudable behavior like using the scratching post; and negative enforcement such as a raised voice or a plant mister spritz for kneading the couch. Corporal punishment is counterproductive in cats.

SEXUAL MATURITY: Male and female cats should be castrated and spayed respectively between 6-8 months of age.

VACCINATIONS: Kittens should be vaccinated at 8, 12, and 16 weeks and yearly thereafter. These vaccines are for Distemper, Herpes and Calci Virus protection. Rabies vaccine are now required yearly for all cats, even isolated, indoor cats. IF a cat bites somebody and isn’t current on Rabies vaccination, The Board of Health has the power to seize and euthanize your cat to check its brain for Rabies Virus. We might also refuse to examine fractious cats unvaccinated for Rabies. We will advise you during the office visit what vaccine are necessary for your particular situation.